Thoughts from the interface of science, religion, law and culture

After spending several years touring the country as a stand up comedian, Ed Brayton tired of explaining his jokes to small groups of dazed illiterates and turned to writing as the most common outlet for the voices in his head. He has appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show and the Thom Hartmann Show, and is almost certain that he is the only person ever to make fun of Chuck Norris on C-SPAN.

Disclaimer

EVENTS

Another Reason to Love the First Amendment

Pakistan has sentenced a police officer to life in prison and a huge fine for “blaspheming” the “prophet” Muhammad. This kind of thing just creeps me out. Imagine living in a society where saying the wrong thing about religion can get you thrown in prison for the rest of your life. Orwell could hardly have dreamed of anything more repulsive.

On a related note, I haven’t heard anything for several weeks about the Saudi citizen who was hauled off a plane in Malaysia and shipped back to Saudi Arabia for tweeting something unrespectful about Mohammed. Does anyone know what’s happened to him since?

I haven’t heard anything for several weeks about the Saudi citizen who was hauled off a plane in Malaysia and shipped back to Saudi Arabia for tweeting something unrespectful about Mohammed. Does anyone know what’s happened to him since?

No Saudi subject was hauled off a plane in Malaysia and shipped back to Saudi Arabia for tweeting something unrespectful about Mohammed.
*
Of course, you may confuse this non existant Saudi with the very real Hamza Kashgari who tweeted something absolutely not unrespectful in any way about Mohammed but who commited the very serious -in the eyes of the Saudi aristocracy- crime of supporting the Arab Spring and whose not-at-all disrespectful tweets about Mohammed were used as a pretense to arrest him.
*
Well, apparently, he has already been proclaimed guilty until proven guilty but the trial has yet to start (no: that’s not a joke).

sezme, a “Respect for Religion” law isn’t all that far-fetched. Not with the current Repuglican party.

Consider the law currently under consideration that would allow an employer, under the guise of religious freedom, to pry into a woman’s private medical records and deny her coverage for birth control pills if he doesn’t like her reasons for using them.

Whether or not courts would allow such a law to stand is another question, but I put nothing past the sensibilities of fuckwit conservative legislatures and their constituents.

The revolting aspect of the first case was the interpol helped tracked down the man as he fled Saudi Arabia for Malaysia. Yes, interpol is now part of the blasphemy against mohamed(PBUH) enforcement net.